Window Well.

The purpose of a Foundation window well is too prevent water penetration through the window, prevent water damage to the window frames, and to allow for egress out of the basement in the event of an emergency. With out a window well some basement windows will be below grade and would be a source of water leakage, insect damage and wood rot. Window wells also allow for more light to enter the basement area. Window wells should also have a drain. That is a drain that pipes water away from the interior of the well. Most window wells do not have any drains. They just have three or four inches of gravel at the bottom of the well. Some but not many will have a drain pipe that leads to the drain around the base of the foundation walls. This also can be problematic because you are putting water very close to the exterior foundation walls.

Window well installation

Excavating down and installed drainage pipes that discharge to a safe area is very expensive. At a minimum there should be a foot of gravel in the well to better allow for drainage. We recommend the installation of window well covers. They don’t look that good but they do help keep leaves and debris from the well interior. They will also help prevent water and snow from collecting inside the well. All soil in the area of the well should be sloped away to better help keep water from the exterior walls of the home.